Graduate Software Engineer - Core

Location: Bristol

Start date: September 2025

Requirements: Please note, we are only considering students who have an established right to work in the UK.

About Graphcore

Graphcore is one of the world’s leading innovators in Artificial Intelligence compute.  

It is developing hardware, software and systems infrastructure that will unlock the next generation of AI breakthroughs and power the widespread adoption of AI solutions across every industry.  

As part of the SoftBank Group, Graphcore is a member of an elite family of companies responsible for some of the world’s most transformative technologies. Together, they share a bold vision: to enable Artificial Super Intelligence and ensure its benefits are accessible to everyone.   

Graphcore’s teams are drawn from diverse backgrounds and bring a broad range of skills and perspectives. A melting pot of AI research specialists, silicon designers, software engineers and systems architects, Graphcore enjoys a culture of continuous learning and constant innovation.  

About the role

We are looking for a Graduate Software Engineer to join a team pioneering the development of high-performance machine learning (ML) kernels for a new generation of AI hardware. 

In this role, you will contribute to building optimised compute kernels that support a wide range of ML operators—powering applications from convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to large language models (LLMs). 

You'll leverage low-level programming and hardware-aware optimisation techniques to extract maximum performance and efficiency from modern accelerators. This is a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of ML, numerical computing, and scalable systems.

About you

You are open-minded and collaborative with interests in performance optimisation and memory-efficient designs, and you are looking to join a team of experts.

You are comfortable to discuss technical tradeoffs, receive feedback and iterate on solutions and you are drawn to technically challenging problems and use analyticals reasoning to navigate unfamiliar domains.

Essential: 

• On track or achieved a 2:1 or above in Computer Science or related subject area.
• Experirence in C/C++11.
• Familiarity with Python or scripting tools for automation and testing.
• Understanding of linear algebra, numerical methods, or scientific computing.
• Good problem-solving skills and ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

Prefered Qualifications:

• Courseworks or past experience in using ML frameworks, parallel programming, or code optimisation.
• Exposure to math libraries such as MKL or OpenBLAS.
• Knowledge of performance analysis tools.

We are not looking for an instant expert but graduates with the hunger to learn, develop and contribute to Graphcore's future. 

Graduates at Graphcore 

A tailored onboarding and induction programme, that will get you up to speed with life at Graphcore, including a deep understanding of how the business operates. During your induction technical specialists will host knowledge sharing sessions, providing you the opportunity to build your network.  

Once in your team, you can expect hands on experience, in a supportive environment to promote your learning. A typical day would involve working closely with peers and your manager to solve challenges as they arise.  

You will also benefit from a buddy, mentor and access to talent development team that will support your softer skill development. 

Benefits

In addition to a very competitive salary, you will also have the freedom to make your own choices that work for you, starting with unlimited holiday. Our offices provide a well-stocked kitchen with healthy food, drinks and snacks and our very own barista! We have an active social scene across our offices too - from cycling, yoga, running and football right through to a board game group. Other benefits include;

• Flexible Holiday Policy 
• Private Medical Insurance & Health cash plan 
• Dental plan 
• Pension matched up to 5%
• Life assurance & income protection
• Employee assistance programme

We welcome people of different backgrounds and experiences; we’re committed to building an inclusive work environment that makes Graphcore a great home for everyone. We offer an equal opportunity process and understand that there are visible and invisible differences in all of us. We can provide a flexible approach to interview and encourage you to chat to us if you require any reasonable adjustments.